Gay House Records

Collection

Identifier: Tretter-165

Staff Only

Scope and Content

The Gay House Records (1971-1975) includes associated documents, correspondence, and organizational documents, news articles, a pamphlets, and photographs. The photographs include photographs of Cindy Hanson, the Director of Gay House, David Christian, and Michael McConnell, as well as photographs of the damage to a painting and the Gay House softball team.

Dates

Creation: 1971-1975

Language of Materials

Collection material in English

Restrictions on Access

Items in this collection do not circulate and may be used in-house only. Materials will be retrieved from and returned to storage areas by staff members.

Restrictions on Use

Please contact staff regarding copyright status of these materials. Researchers may quote from the collection under fair use provisions of the copyright law (Title 17, U.S. Code).

Historical Note

Gay House, an early gay community center in Minneapolis co-founded by John Preston and Michael McConnell in 1971. It was founded using a grant from four Protestant churches and members of the University of Minnesota student group F.R.E.E. (FREE/Fight Repression of Erotic Expression). The Gay House functioned as an office building and a community center and offered a meeting space and a rest location for young people who were coming to terms with their identity. A hotline, set up by Jim Frost and John Preston, was run by volunteers and offered counseling services to troubled youth. Michael McConnell helped set up a community-run queer library, the first on the Upper Midwest. The Gay House was located at the corner of 18th Street and Nicollet Avenue, but eventually moved to South Minneapolis

Extent

1 box (0.21 cubic feet)

Additional Description

Abstract

The Gay House records, 1971-1975 includes associated documents, news articles, a pamphlets, and photographs.

Source of acquisition

The Gay House Records were donated by the OutFront organization

Related Materials

Michael McConnell Files, 1965-2014

Related Materials

See the John Hustad Papers, 1970-2016, Box 1 for related information and photographs of Gay House

Processing Information

The Gay House records, 1971-1975 was processed by Jennifer Shaw in 2014 as part of a project financed in part with funds provided by the State of Minnesota from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the Minnesota Historical Society.